Daily Readings for Thursday 28th September 2023

Prayer
-Give thanks to God that we are part of a global church made up of true Christians across the world.
-Give thanks to God for the freedoms we have to share the Gospel in England and pray that it may continue.
-Pray for missionaries across the world who are seeking to preach the Gospel and establish a faithful church.
-Pray for those in persecuted countries who have to meet in secret. Even those who are now in prison for their faith. Give thanks to God that we are part of a global church made up of true Christians across the world.

Church Services
Sermons
Sunday morning at 11:00am in church (also available online via Facebook)
Sunday evening at 6:30pm in church (also available online via Facebook)
Bible study and prayer
Wednesday evening at 7:00pm in church (also available online via Facebook)
Lunch hour service
Thursday afternoon between 1:00pm and 1:30pm in church (also available online via Facebook)
(Thursday afternoon) scripture reading - Ephesians 6 v 10-17
Outreach/Witnessing
Saturday morning at Victoria Street (outside the big Boots store) for 10:30am (across the road from Town Hall - No. 64). Afterwards we go back to church for prayer.

Daily Reading
Preface - David forceth Joab to number the people. The captains after nine months and twenty days deliver in the number to the king. David repenteth, and, being obliged to choose one plague out of three named to him, fixeth on three days' pestilence. After the death of seventy thousand in Israel, at David's humble suit the angel is stayed from destroying Jerusalem. By God's direction David purchaseth Araunah's threshingfloor; and having sacrificed there, the plague ceaseth.
2 Samuel 24
Preface - The Jews were for a while held under the law, as an heir under his guardian till he be of age. But Christ came to redeem those that were under the law, and to give both to Jew and Gentile the adoption, and consequently the freedom, of sons. Paul therefore reproveth the Galatians, who from serving idols had been received of God, for falling back to the bondage of legal observances. He expresseth his fears and tender regard for them, and calleth to mind their former respect and good will to him, from which he admonisheth them not to be seduced in his absence. He allegorically describeth the Jewish and Christian churches under the types of Agar and Sara, and inferreth that we, being children of the freewoman, are free.
Galatians 4

A Puritans Catechism
Q8 - How doth God execute his decrees?
A - God executes his decrees in the works of creation and providence.

Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
Love for the Lord's day
Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. -
1 Corinthians 16 v 2
All days of the year are Christ's, but He hath marked out one in seven as peculiarly His own. 'He hath made it,' or marked it out. Just as He planted a garden in Eden, so He hath fenced about this day and made it His own.
This is the reason why we love it, and would keep it entire. We love everything that is Christ's. We love His word. It is better to us than thousands of gold and silver. 'O how we love His law! it is our study all the day.' We love His house. It is our trysting-place which Christ, where He meets with us and communes with us from off the mercy-seat. We love His table. it is His banqueting house, where His banner over us is love - where He looses our bonds, and anoints our eyes, and makes our hearts burn with holy joy. We love His people, because they are His, members of His body, washed in His blood, filled with His Spirit, our brothers and sisters for eternity. And we love the Lord's day, because it is His. Every hour of it is dear to us - sweeter than honey, more precious than gold. It is the day He rose for our justification. It reminds us of His love, and His finished work, and His rest. And we may boldly say that man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ who does not love the entire Lord's day.